读点好英文:The Scorpion and the Tortoise 蝎子和乌龟

The Scorpion and the Tortoise 蝎子和乌龟

A tortoise and scorpion had contracted a great intimacy, and bound themselves with such ties of friendship, that the one could not live without the other.

One day these inseparabIe companions, finding themselves obliged to change their habitation, travelled together. But in their meeting with a large and deep river, the scorpion making a stop, said to the tortoise：

“My dear friend, you are well provided for what we see before us, but how shall I get over this water?”

“Never trouble yourself, my dear friend, for that，”replied the tortoise，“I will carry you upon my back secure from all danger.”

On this, the scorpion, without hesitation, got upon the back of the tortoise, who immediately took water and began to swim. But he had hardly got halfway across the river, when he heard a terrible rumbling upon his back, which made him ask the scorpion what he was doing.

“Doing！”replied the scorpion，“Why, I am whetting my sting, to see whether I can bore this horny cuirass of yours that covers your flesh like a shield from all injuries.”

“Oh, ungrateful wretch！”cried the tortoise，“Wouldst thou at a time when I am giving thee such a demonstration of my friendship, wouldst thou at such a time, pierce with thy venomous sting the defence that Nature has given me, and take away my life?It is well, however, I have it in my power both to save myself and reward thee as thou deserve.”

So saying, he sunk his back to some depth under water, threw off the scorpion, and left him to pay with his life for his monstrous ingratitude.

乌龟和蝎子建立了深厚的友谊，友情的纽带将它们紧紧维系在一起，彼此依存。

一天，这对形影不离的伙伴不得不搬家，于是，它们一同上路了。它们在路上遇到一条又宽又深的大河，蝎子停下来对乌龟说：

“亲爱的朋友，你的自身条件足以使你应付眼前的情况，可是，我怎么才能过河呢？”

“不要担心，我亲爱的朋友，这样，”乌龟回答道，“我背着你过河，这样就不会有任何危险了。”

蝎子一听，毫不犹豫地跳到乌龟的背上，乌龟立即跳下水，游了起来。可是，刚游到河中央，就听到背上传来可怕的隆隆声。于是它问蝎子在干什么。

“干什么！”蝎子回答道，“我把我的刺磨利些。你那坚硬的壳像盾牌一样保护着你的身体使你免受任何伤害，我倒要看看能不能刺穿它。”

“嘿，你这个忘恩负义的家伙！”乌龟叫道，“我对你这么好，你却企图用你的毒刺来刺穿大自然赐予我的盔甲，想要我的命吗？可是，我有能力拯救自己并让你受到应有的惩罚。”

说着，乌龟沉入水底，把蝎子从身上甩掉，让它为自己的忘恩负义付出了生命的代价。

Practising&Exercise 实战提升篇

单词注解

trap[træp]n.陷阱；困境；骗局

intimacy['intiməsi]n.亲密，密切；亲密的言语（或行为）

inseparabIe[in'sepərəbl]a.形影不离的；分不开的

whet[（h）wet]v.磨（刀、斧等）；引起，刺激（食欲、兴趣等）

cuirass[kwi'ræs]n.胸甲；铁甲

venomous['venəməs]a.恶毒的；恶意的；有毒的

实用句型

……and bound themselves with such ties of friendship, that the one could not live without the other.

……友情的纽带将它们紧紧维系在一起，彼此依存。

……the defence that Nature has given me, and take away my life?……大自然赐予我的盔甲，想要我的命吗？

智慧点津

Keep good men company and you shall be of the number.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑。

To friends one should be kind and sincere. Doing bad things to who does you a big favor will be paid anyway.

朋友之间要真诚相待。受人恩惠却要在背后伤害对方，终将受到惩罚。